.@VolvoTrucks, @sandyhook, @Spotify and more: creative ideas of the week

Between bookmarked sites, Twitter and RSS feeds which showcase advertising, I come across many new creative ideas every week. As with advertising in real life, only a handful are memorable. Here are my picks for the week ending 2nd December, 2016: Spotify, Volvo Trucks and more.

1. Volvo Trucks: Live Test

Brands have long realised that today’s advertising is about ‘brand action’ rather than just ‘brand messaging’. Some, like P&G (with the Thank You, Mom initiative and others), Volvo Trucks (stunts which have gone viral) are doing it better than others. The remarkable thing about some of these is that the ‘action’ is rooted in a product feature and the receiver gets the benefit clearly. What’s more the content is entertaining and just right for how such content is shared. The latest from Volvo Trucks is a Live Test to demonstrate the driveability and performance of their unique ‘powertrain’.

Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors

2. Sandy Hook: #KnowTheSigns

Watching the first few seconds of the film reminded me of recent efforts from Wrigley in the teen love space. The ad keeps you riveted eager to know the denouement but what follows in the end is a totally unexpected twist. Brilliant way to drive home the message for the client.

Agency: BBDO

3. JetBlue: edible print ad

Airline food has been the butt of jokes for decades. JetBlue, the US airline apparently offers free, unlimited bags of chips, cookies and crackers in-flight. I am not sure if that qualifies as food but nevertheless they have a clever of promoting such snacks: an edible print ad. According to Adweek, ‘in this Saturday’s New York Post, JetBlue is launching an edible paper ad, made of potato starch, water, vegetable oil and glycerin‘.

Agency: MullenLowe

4. Allegro: English

We’ve seen a spate of ads from e-commerce brands in India of late. The underlying message is about sharing, giving and spreading happiness. Needless to say, differentiating the brand message in this sea of sameness is difficult. A unique perspective, a compelling story and good execution go a long way in creating magic. Here’s one such from Allego – an online marketplace in Poland.

The ad worked for me at so many levels. I could empathise with the longing of a grandfather to see his grand daughter and ‘do’ something special for her – to put in the effort. It was also a statement about urban life, living away from parents and the role digital plays in bringing people together. The execution was fantastic – the purposeful demeanour of the grandfather, the dialogues he mouths in unlikeliest of places and of course, the cute acts of the dog. Loved it.

5. Spotify: Weird 2016

These outdoor ads from Spotify have been doing the rounds of several ad blogs this week. Easy to see why – great use of data from actual product usage to arrive at insights and fresh takes on them.

Agency: In-house

6. Metallica: gloves

“You don’t say ‘no’ to Metallica” is the simple message in this ad. Sure to appeal to the audience it is talking to and raise awareness about their new album.